A statue of the Madonna and Child miraculously found by loggers!

The Shrine of Blessed Valley (Valley of Blessing in French: Benoite-Vaux) is located in a small French town nestled in a valley and surrounded by forest. It is thought that it was originally a place of worship in Christianized Gaul in as early as the 5th century. In about the year 1157, the Bishop of Verdun (France) gave what had been an Augustinian monastery to the Norbertines, who later cared for pilgrims who traveled there. 

The original statue of the Madonna and Child at Blessed Valley was said to have been miraculously found by loggers working in the woods when they heard angels singing the Ave Maria. They found the statue standing at the foot of an oak tree near a river. The chapel preserved the statue of the Madonna and Child, rendered famous by the miracles that occurred. In the 12th century there was a priory at the location and Our Lady of Blessed Valley continued to be a pilgrimage center for centuries. In this place there was also once a miraculous fountain, the water of which cured several maladies. The Stations of the Cross were carved in stone near the fountain.

In the year 1793, during the French Revolution, the shrine was destroyed for the second time—this time the miraculous statue was also destroyed. According to the Marian Dictionary, the statue had depicted the Blessed Virgin holding the Child Jesus in one arm and an apple in the other hand. The image was also called “Comforter of the Afflicted” and “Queen of Peace.”

The shrine was restored in the year 1830. The successor statue of Our Lady of Blessed Valley that is currently venerated there is also very old, and is said to resemble the original. It was crowned in 1875. The shrine is still attracts pilgrimages every year, usually during the first week of September.

Our Lady of Blessed Valley, pray for us!

Adapted from Roman Catholic Saints